New R.I. House speaker’s first big move: pushing to create an inspector general’s office
PROVIDENCE — Rhode Island’s new House speaker is pushing for the creation of an inspector general to investigate waste, fraud, and abuse in state government, citing the Washington Bridge failure and other high-profile recent government missteps.
Speaker Chris Blazejewski, a Providence Democrat who was elevated to the House’s top job last week after Speaker Joe Shekarchi left to apply for a seat on the Rhode Island Supreme Court, announced he and Majority Leader Katherine Kazarian will introduce the legislation on Tuesday.
“The time is now,” Blazejewski told reporterson Thursday, citing “high-profile state failures” including the Washington Bridge crisis, the recent partial collapse of an on-ramp over Amtrak lines, and the botched rollout of a $99 million new payroll system.
“Mistakes are expensive, disruptive and sometimes dangerous,” he said.
The unexpected move is Blazejewski’s first major proposal as speaker, and could have bipartisan support. Republicans have been pushing for an inspector general for years, but Democratic leaders who control the State House have previously poured cold water on the idea.
Blazejewski noted he first sponsored the measure with other Democrats back in 2015. Inspectors general are used across the country, including in Massachusetts and in the federal government, to root out fraud and waste in governments.
The Rhode Island inspector general would investigate state agencies and municipalities’ use of state funds and would accept complaints from whistleblowers. It was not immediately clear how many staff members the office would have on hand, but Blazejewski said operating the office would cost less than $2 million.
The speaker also cited the Trump administration’s efforts to cut state funds as a reason to implement an inspector general now.
“We cannot afford to waste state dollars on investments that just don’t work, or failures,” Blazejewski said. “We’re going to need every dollar we can get.”
The speaker’s support significantly increases the odds that the legislation could pass, but it’s not yet clear if it will win support from Senate leadership. A spokesperson for Senate President Valarie Lawson said she would review the legislation and work with Blazejewski.
Governor Dan McKee said he supports the “concept” of an inspector general, and said the office’s “authority and oversight should extend to all branches of government.”
“I look forward to reviewing the details of the legislation and evaluating this specific proposal once it is introduced,” McKee said. “And if the goal is accountability and protecting taxpayers, then the General Assembly should also pass my proposal to finally allow voters to decide on creating a line-item veto in Rhode Island.”
Lawmakers have repeatedly expressed frustration with the McKee administration’s handling of the Washington Bridge, a major highway bridge that failed in late 2023.
Blazejewski noted both the high cost to replace the bridge and issues with the Department of Transportation’s oversight, after former DOT director Peter Alviti blamed outside inspectors for the bridge’s failure.
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“The bridge has had an enormous impact on the entire area, not just Rhode Island,” Kazarian said. “Anybody really traveling in the entire northeast corridor has been impacted by that bridge.”
Kazarian, an East Providence Democrat, and Blazejewski both represent districts close to the bridge.
The proposal was enthusiastically received by Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz, a North Smithfield Republican.
“I am ecstatic,” de la Cruz said. “When I read it, I almost fell off my seat.”
She noted that the idea has had bipartisan support and public support for years.
“I’m so happy to see that he is for transparency in the process of government, that he is also in favor of rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse, and I am 100 percent behind that message as well,” she said.
House Minority Leader Mike Chippendale said he welcomed the proposal and noted that Representative George Nardone, a Coventry Republican, has introduced legislation for an inspector general for eight years in a row.
“While our final position will depend on the actual legislative language once it is introduced, this announcement represents a welcome shift from our Democratic colleagues and a positive step toward the accountability Rhode Islanders deserve,” Chippendale said.
The specific language of the bill was not yet available, but Blazejewski said it is modeled after similar inspectors general offices in South Carolina and Delaware.
The inspector general, who would be nonpartisan and independent, would need a “vast background in the fields of auditing and criminal justice, with a minimum of 10 years of professional experience in auditing, investigations, law enforcement or a related field,” according to the proposal.
The legislation will create a commission that includes Rhode Island’s secretary of state, the attorney general, general treasurer, and Ethics Commission, along with a member of the Association of Inspectors General.
That commission would send a list of three candidates to the governor, who would pick the inspector general, subject to Senate confirmation.
The person could then serve no more than two five-year terms, Blazejewski said, and there would be protections from removal.
“We obviously don’t want a governor be able to fire an inspector general because they’re doing a good job,” he said.
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